Lamp voltage-regulator



W. A. TURBAYNE.

LAMP VOLTAGE REGULATOR.

APPLICATION men JULY 23. 1917.

1,367,845@ 7 Patented Feb. 8,1921.

WITNESS: I I I INViNTZR. (7W WlZZZam A. ur ayne.

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WILflIiIAM. A. TUBBAYNE, 03f NIAGARA FALLS, NE -1 YGRK, ASSIG-NORTO U.S. LIGHT 7 & HEAT CORPORATION, OF NIAGARA. FALLS, NEW' YORK, ACORIPOBATION OF NEW YORK.

LAM? VOLTAGE-REGULATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 8, 192.

To all to 7mm it may concern Be it known that I, lViLLLiM A. TUR- nAYNn,a citizen of the United States, residing at Niagara Falls. in the countyof Niagara and State of llew iork, have mvented new and usefulImprovements in "Lamp Voltage-Regulators, or which the following is aspecification.

The present invention relates to lamp voltage regulators.

"lore particularly the invention relates to improved regulating meansadapted to be inserted between the storage battery and translatingdevices in a system having a variable voltagesource, as for instance, a

car-lightinglsystem. A great deal or dithculty has been experienced withlamp voltage regulators 'innse in car-lighting systems for the IBZISOllthat they are called upon to take care of w1de var1at1ons 1n the 'suoolT Volta e and wide variations in the lamp load] For instance, a heavyload may be used when the generator is lnoperative.

" At this time the resistance ofthe lamp regulator should bevery small.At other times a low lamp load is used when the voltage across theterminals of the storage battery is high.- At such times it is necessarythat the lamp voltage regulator have a considerable resistance.

An objec of the present invention is to provide a lamp voltage regulatorhaving a maximum range and involving only simple mechanism.

A. further object is to provide a lamp voltage regulator which willprovide close regulation over awide range.

' .teristic of said generator.

is adapted to supply mains 2 and 3. Across A furtherjobject is toprovide a lamp voltage regulator of the compressible pile 40.

type in whichthe'action of the compressible pile is controlled by thelamp load in a novel manner.

Further, objects will be apparent as the description proceeds.

The one figure of the drawing represents diagrammatically one embodimentof the present invention.

The. numeral 1 indicates a generator which may be driven from the caraxle. Any preferred regulating means may be employed for procuring thedesired charac- Said generator these mains 2 and 3 is connected .acircuit containing a storage battery l and a second cir. nit containinglamps 5. An automatic switch (3 is interposed in the main 2 between thegenerator 1 and the storage battery 4. A. lamp switch 5 will be providedfor throwingthe lamps entirely out of circuit with the generator andstorage battery when desired.

The lamps 5 have in series therewith a compressible pile rheostat 7 anda solenoid 8. The compressible pile 7 isoperated upon by a bell cranklever 9 pivoted at the point 10. The bell crank lever 9 is operated by aplunger l1 which is adapted to move within solenoid l2 vhich isconnected across the circuit of the lamps 5 through an adjustableresistani'e 13. A dash-pot 14 may be provided to steady the action ofthe plunger 11.

The bell crank lever 9 carries an armature 15 adapted to cooperate withthe core 16 which is located within the solenoid 8.

A node of operation of the above del embodiment of the present inventionantially as follows. u hen only a low lamp load is being taken. thesolenoid 8 will. not be energized to a sufficient extent to exert anappreciable effect upon the bell crank lever 9. At this time, thereforesaid bell crank lever 9 will be responsive to the solenoid 12 to socontrol the compressible pile rheostat 7 as to maintain substantiallyconstant voltage across the lamps 5. As the plunger 11 approaches itslowermost position, aswhen the voltage impressed upon the mains 2 and 3is reduced the armature 15 will be brought closer to the core 16,whereby solenoid 8 will have a progressively increasing effect.Furthermore, as the lamp load is increased, said solenoid will have anincreasing efiect, whereby the bell crank lever 9 will be operated tocompress the disks of the compressible rheostat 7 to thereby reduce thedrop in said rheostat. At the time when maximum load is being taken bythe lamps and minimum voltage is being impressed upon the mains 2 and 3,said bell crank lever 9 will be urged with maximum eflort to compressthe rheostat 7, whereby its resistance will be minimum.

@ne embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail.Many modifications will occur to those skilled in the art. It isintended that this patent shall cover all such modifications that comewithin the scope or the invention as defined by the appended claims.

lVhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is

1. In a car-lighting circuit, in combination, a variable speedgenerator, a storage battery charged thereby, a translation circuit inparallel with said battery, said translation circuitincludingtranslating devices and a series connected compressiblerheostat, mechanical operating means for said rheostat, controllingmeans for said operating means responsive to voltage change across saidtranslating devices, and controlling means for said operating meansresponsive to current changes in said translation circuit, said currentresponsive means being inoperative to control said operating means whenthe load on said translating devices is low.

2. In combination, a compressible rheostat, mechanical means foroperating same including a pair of armatures, a voltage solenoidcooperating with one of said arma tures for moving said means in onedirec tion, and a current-responsive solenoid cooperating" with theother armature for moving said means in the opposite direction, saidcurrent responsive solenoid being adapted to become effective to controlsaid mechanical means only upon material decrease in sitestiveness ofsaid voltage solenoid.

3. In combination, a circuit to be regulated, a compressible rheostat inseries with said circuit, means responsive to the volt age across saidcircuit for operating said i-heostat, and means responsive to the current in said circuit for operating said rheostat, saidcurrent-responsive means being adapted to become eifective to operatesaid rheostat only upon material decrease in effectiveness of saidvoltage responsive means.

:1. In combination, a circuit to be regulated, a compressible rheostatin series with said circuit, means responsive to the voltage across saidcircuit for operating said rheostat to increase the resistance of saidrheostat, and means responsive to the current in said circuit fordecreasing the resistance of said rheostat, said current-responsivemeans being adapted to become effective to operate said rheostat onlyupon material decrease in effectiveness of said voltage responsivemeans.

In combination, a compressible rheostat, mechanical means for operatingsaid rlicostat, a voltage solenoid for operating said means in onedirection, an armature carried by said means, and a current-responsivesolenoid cooperating with said armature for operating said means in theoppoc direction, said current-responsive solenoid being adapted tobecome effective to operate said mechanical means only upon materialdecrease in effectiveness of said voltage solenoid.

6. In combination, a compressible rheostat, mechanical means foroperating said rheostat, voltage controlled means for operating saidrheostat to increase the resistance oi": same, and current-controlledmeans cooperating with said mechanical means for htly compressing saidrheostat, said ourrent-responsive means being adapted to be comeeffective only upon material decrease in effectiveness of saidvoltage-responsive means.

7. In combination, a circuit to be regulated, a compressible rheostat inseries with said circuit, voltage controlled means for controlling saidrheostat to maintain substantially constant the voltage maintainedacross said circuit, and means responsive to the cu rent How in saidcircuit for causing com ession of said rheostat. said last mentionedmeans being operative to exert a substantial effort only when theeffectiveness oi said voltage controlled means is mate rially decreased.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

WILLIAM A. TURBAYNE.

